Warning issued over branded kids' magnesium gummies

Parents are being warned to stop using Nutrition Ignition Kids Magnesium Glycinate Gummies, due to them containing an undeclared drug called melatonin that could cause issues for children.

Melatonin is a prescription-only medicine, which can cause drowsiness, headaches, dizziness and nausea.

Testing of two batches by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found the products, which have now been pulled from sale, contained between 1.5mg and 1.7mg of melatonin.

Anyone who has given the product to a child is advised to speak to a healthcare professional if they notice any adverse side effects, although lasting harm is not expected.

Melatonin can be given to children over the age of six for sleep management if other methods have failed.

It is often used for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or delayed sleep wake phase disorder (DSWPD) and for the short-term treatment of insomnia.

Children can be prescribed a starting dose of 1mg, up to 5mg of melatonin per day and no serious side effects have been identified in studies of children.

The gummies in question were recommended for children above the age of four to help support "calm, focus and digestion".

Magnesium glycinate is supposed to help support muscle function, improve sleep quality and regulate the body's nervous system.

Parents are being advised to dispose of the item at a local pharmacy and report any side effects to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

The Nutrition Ignition brand website has now been deleted and products have been removed from online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.

As reported by The Guardian in June, the gummy brand was owned by Surrey-based NHS clinical therapy lead Sally Westcott.

She was ordered to remove the raspberry-flavoured gummies from sale more than a month ago by the MHRA after they were alerted to the sweets' hidden ingredients by two concerned mothers.

The women had the gummies tested when they noticed their young children falling asleep more quickly than usual after consuming them and it was then discovered that they contained melatonin.

Westcott, who is yet to comment on the MHRA report, said in June that she had "never knowingly sold products containing undeclared ingredients".